The Town Files

Riverlea, Ohio

Village in Franklin County · population 599 (2020 Census)

Map: where Riverlea is in OhioRiverlea
Median home
$572,500
Household income
$161,250
Jan low / Jul high
21° / 84°
Snow a year
19 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
20
Median age
44.5

Riverlea is a village of 599 people in Franklin County, Ohio. The median home is worth $572,500, above the typical Ohio town ($171,100). It ranks more upscale than 100% of Ohio towns, better for families than 96% of Ohio towns, better transit than 94% of Ohio towns.

How Riverlea ranks

Percentile among Ohio towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Ohio towns.

Riverlea lifestyle rankings vs other Ohio townsRetirement56th pctFamilies96th pctQuiet38th pctWalkability90th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals80th pctVibrancy65th pctHip & trendy85th pctCollege town55th pctUpscale100th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit94th pctDriving16th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Riverlea is worth $572,500, above the typical Ohio town ($171,100). Homes cost about 3.6 times the median household income of $161,250, which is more affordable than 10% of Ohio towns. Median rent is $1,500 a month. 91.2% of households own their home.

Riverlea vs Franklin County vs typical Ohio townRiverleaFranklin CountyTypical Ohio townHome value$572,500$288,400$171,100Household income$161,250$75,176$67,019Monthly rent$1,500$1,302$914
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Ohio towns with 500+ people.
HousingRiverleaTypical Ohio town
Median home value$572,500$171,100
Median rent$1,500$914
Median household income$161,250$67,019
Home value ÷ income3.6×2.6×
Homeownership91.2%71.7%
Median year built19541965
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Riverlea

PeopleRiverleaTypical Ohio town
Median age44.540.6
Age 65 and over14.9%19.1%
Under 1829.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher89.3%21.3%
Below the poverty line1.1%10.3%
Veterans2.4%—
Born outside the U.S.1.7%—
Work from home30.8%8.6%
Average commute17.9 min23.3 min
Homes with broadband97.2%90.9%

Weather in Riverlea

July highs average 84.3°F and January lows 21.3°F. About 35.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 19.0 inches of snow (typical Ohio town: 23.8 in). Expect about 17 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 112 nights at or below freezing.

Riverlea monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing36°21°Jan40°23°Feb50°31°Mar63°41°Apr73°51°May81°60°Jun84°64°Jul83°62°Aug77°55°Sep65°43°Oct51°34°Nov40°26°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.26.91.95.33.02.83.50.13.94.03.73.03.02.52.40.52.53.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Columbus Ohio State Univ Ap station (2.8 mi away); snow from Westerville (5.3 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Riverlea since 1950, compared with 16 for the typical Ohio town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on February 22, 1971 about 9.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on February 28, 2024.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Riverlea by decade21950s11960s81970s21980s31990s02000s32010s12020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 106 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on August 10, 1984.

Severe weather in Franklin County since 1996

Storm events in Franklin County since 1996 by typeHail222Flood116Tornado19High Wind25Lightning7Heavy Rain6Heavy Snow10Flash Flood71
NOAA Storm Events Database, Franklin County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 5 deaths recorded.

Franklin County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
October 2, 2026FloodDR-4945: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, And Landslides
March 31, 2020BiologicalDR-4507: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3457: Covid-19
August 20, 2012Severe StormDR-4077: Severe Storms And Straight-Line Winds
June 30, 2012Severe StormEM-3346: Severe Storms

Jobs and pay in Franklin County

Franklin County had 779,560 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $73,180 a year. Unemployment was 3.1% in 2023; in Riverlea itself the ACS puts it at 1%.

Largest industries in Franklin CountyHealth care & social assistan…122,964 jobs · $60,226Retail67,186 jobs · $42,868Hotels & restaurants63,348 jobs · $27,426Professional & technical serv…51,849 jobs · $107,419Transportation & warehousing49,479 jobs · $75,308Administrative & support48,217 jobs · $49,685
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Franklin County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Franklin 3.1%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Riverlea

Riverlea questions

Is Riverlea, Ohio a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Riverlea scores better for retirees than 56% of Ohio towns and quieter than 38%. 14.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.5).

How much does a house cost in Riverlea?

The median owner-occupied home in Riverlea is valued at $572,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $161,250, so homes cost about 3.6 times income. Median rent is $1,500 a month.

What is the weather like in Riverlea?

July highs average 84.3°F and January lows 21.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 35.8 inches of precipitation a year and 19.0 inches of snow.

Does Riverlea get tornadoes?

20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Riverlea since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on February 22, 1971. The typical Ohio town has had 16.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Riverlea's Census boundary (GEOID 3967440). Comparisons use the median of Ohio towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.